Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-07
Connecticut Peachen.
FIfTY-Two ACRES OF THIS FRUIT IN SUCCESS
Full CULTIVATION ON ONE FARM.

| FlFTf-IWO ACRES OF THIS FRUIT IN SUCCESS.
FUL CULTIVATION ON ONE FARM.
At Glastonbury, Conn, two brothers, G.
II. and j. H. Hale, have been at work for
a few years past on an experiment in peach
culture which has this year developed into
great success The thousands of trees
which cover their peach farm of 50 acres
are loaded down with the fruit, which is
gathered and marketed by hundreds of bas-
kets daily. A visitor to the orchard tells
what he saw there, and adds some pertinent
observations on certain requisites in sue
cessful farming which are too often lost
sight of
The plot is large enough to require quite
number of packing houses, where the fruit
is collected by the pickers, carefully assort
ed by the packers, labeled with red white
or blue cards, to designate the different
qualities, and shipped to the store in Hart
ford, where all the crop is sold. The ut
most care is required in handling, and none
but careful men are employed at the or
chard -
OF all the many thousands of bearing
trees from which the fruit has been or is
now being gathered, we were assured that
only one showed any lack of perfect health
fulness and vigor. The immense growth of
new wood during the present season, in ad-
dition to the strain of maturing such enor-
nous crops of superior fruit, and the dark
rich green of the foliage, indicated the
most generous and intelligent fertilization
and the most judicous selection of soil
The entire plot also showed frequent and
thorough cultivation. Only here and there
"a hn. 70, Ill 81.
lions upon millions which had been DESTROY.
ed. Another equally important result Of
this sort of cultivation is the retention of
moisture where there was so much needed
But back of the favorable soil, thorough
cultivation and generous fertilization, and
superior to them all, lies the true secret of
the success which has at last crowned this
magnificent enterprise of the Hale Broth
ers. For six years, at least, they have
pushed their work of cultivating the peach
against fearful odds. Predictions of ulti
mate failure fell around them thick as the
snowiiakes in winter. Again and again
the promise Of abundant fruit, and the
hopes which it inspired, all vanished in a
single day. Heavy losses of other crops.
from the same unfavorable climatic infu
ences, fell upon them, too, to hinder and
discourage But they were moved by none
of these things from the one superior pur-
pose TO which they had devoted their time.
their thought, their capital, and the best of
their energies No neglect of the peach
orchard followed this steady succession of
dlscouragements. The area constantly
broadened, instead of diminishing. New
lands were leased and planted with the same
varieties, year after year, until now fifty
two acres of peach trees tell their own story
of 60.
persistency of purpose which is almost as
rare in the annals of our New England ag-
rlculture as it is commendable. In this
steady aim, this unfiinching determination.
combined, as it is, with the most intelligent
adoption of methods, we who till the soil
for the living it affords us and ours, and
for the surplus which others NAV need, have
a lesson set for us which the highest inter
ests OF our common agriculture demand
that we should carefully study | am GER
tam that grit is the one quality which is
most lacking upon the average farm, and
the one which most needs cultivation and
development
The want of it is the prolific cause of a
large share of the untidyness of the farm.
and the discomfort of its owner. the low
average yield of all our staple crops, and
the scantiness between income and outgo.
We hear this, that and the other cause of
the decadence of New England agriculture
but the simple truth is, after ALL there is
too little farming nowadays. There are
quite too many owners of farms, who stand
still and theorize too much of the time.
They have almost forgotten that industry
and perseverance were once reckoned indis-
pensable TO success in their business. IL
the walls, which have faithfully guarded
their fields for century at least, begin 70
topple-rather than rebuild them, they pre-
Ter to theorize about the abolition of farm
fences, aud so on, dd idnitum and while
they speculate, the farm runs down and
out and of course there is no money in
farming No indeed Our fathers build
ed well but we, with far superior facil-
ties ought TO build better than they. HUI
man muscle was once plenty and strong
and cheap-and those old farms testify that
II was put to legitimate use. Now it is
becoming rare and fiabby, and too expen- !
slve for use upon the farm. Brain now
claims supremacy everywhere, and arms of |
steel instead of flesh are doing the worlds |
work. A single mower supplants a half
dozen scythes. But are our farm lands as
productive, are our herds as numerous, and |
Is our farm life as contented and successful |
now as then If not, then why not